Thursday, January 1, 2015

NEMO (Nucleus for
European Modelling of the Ocean) is a state-of-the-art modelling framework for
oceanographic research, operational oceanography seasonal forecast and climate
studies. In Europe NEMO (The Network of European Museum Organisations) was
founded in 1992 as an independent network of national museum organisations
representing the museum community of the member states of the Council of
Europe. Together, NEMO’s members speak for over 30.000 museums across Europe. The more popular Nemo is a fish – the common clownfish which grows up to 11 cm (4.3
inches). Its body has a stocky appearance and oval shape. It was made popular
by the computer animated film.

‘Finding
Nemo’ released in 2003, written and directed by Andrew Stanton, released by
Walt Disney Pictures was a film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It tells
the story of the overprotective clownfish named Marlin (Albert Brooks) who,
along with a regal tang named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), searches for his abducted
son Nemo (Alexander Gould) all the way to Sydney Harbour. Along the way, Marlin
learns to take risks and let Nemo take care of himself. The film received
widespread critical acclaim, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature,
and was nominated in three more categories including Best Original Screenplay.

Two ocellaris
clownfish, Marlin and his wife Coral, admire their new home in the Great
Barrier Reef and their clutch of eggs when a barracuda attacks, knocking Marlin
unconscious. He wakes up to find Coral and all but one of the eggs have
disappeared. Marlin names this last egg Nemo, a name that Coral liked. Nemo
develops a smaller right fin as a result of damage to his egg during the
attack, which limits his ability as a swimmer. After Marlin embarrasses Nemo
during a school field trip, he sneaks away from the reef and is captured by
scuba divers. As the boat departs, a diver accidentally knocks his diving mask
overboard. While attempting to save Nemo, Marlin meets Dory, a good-hearted and
optimistic regal blue tang with short-term memory loss. Marlin and Dory meet
three sharks …….. after many escapades,
Nemo is captured by a dentist who places him in a fish tank in his office on
Sydney Harbour. In one such, Nemo is
engulfed by a whale. After returning
home, Nemo leaves for school and Marlin, no longer overprotective, proudly
watches Nemo swim away with Dory at his side.

~
this post is not about ‘Finding Nemo’ – but about the latest recruit (!) of US
Navy. The silent Nemo' robofish that can
swim into enemy territory undetected - and is designed to look exactly like a
tuna. Mailonline reports that the US
Navy has revealed its latest recruit - a giant robotic spy disguised as a tuna. The robo-fish is designed to swim into enemy
territory, and to guard the hulls of US boats. It uses a robo-fin to move
silently through the water - and had been dubbed 'Silent Nemo' by Navy bosses.

The unmanned
underwater vehicle is able to make tight turns and move through the water
quietly, making it ideal for surveillance and reconnaissance missions. At a length of approximately 5 feet and a
weight of nearly 100 pounds, the GhostSwimmer vehicle can operate in water
depths ranging from 10 inches to 300 feet. It is modelled after a bluefin tuna and uses a
rear caudle fin to move through the water just like the fish. The robot is capable of operating autonomously
for extended periods of time due to its long-lasting battery, but it can also
be controlled via laptop with a 500-foot tether.

Researchers from
the Chief of Naval Operations Rapid Innovation Cell and Boston Engineering
tested the prototype at the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek in Virginia recently.
The Navy hopes it could be used to inspect the hull of a ship, check
waters for threats such as mines or protrusions, deliver payloads including
sonar and guidance packages, and access otherwise denied areas. The GhostSwimmer was developed to resemble the
shape and mimic the swimming style of a large fish.

'The unit is a
combination of unmanned systems engineering and unique propulsion and control
capabilities. Its bio-mimicry provides additional security during low
visibility intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and
friendly hull inspections, while quieter than propeller driven craft of the
same size, according to Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC). This fish has
perfected itself by swimming around the water for millenia, so what we are
trying to do with this project, the idea of biomimicry, is to reverse engineer
what nature has already done to optimize design, says its makers ~ a
very imaginative innovation of technology indeed.